MyPolice - new online service to encourage collaboration between people and the police

IN A CLIMATE OF SPENDING CUTS then one of the 'soft' options to face budget reductions are monies spent on 'community development' - i.e. funding allocated to support the involvement of people and communities in shaping services.

Nowhere is this more the case than in crime prevention and policing. Humberside Police face the prospect of losing front-line police officer posts - so funding and officer time previously allocated to police community forums and other attempts at involving people in policing matters will almost certainly be reduced if not cut entirely.

However, a new online service to be launched soon just might help improve matters a little bit. MyPolice describes itself as is "an online feedback tool that enables the public and the police to have a conversation."

MyPolice will seek input, comments and stories from the public about their local police services. These will help identify weaknesses and strengths within local forces which in turn can help with ideas for improving them. The founders behind MyPolice, Sarah Drummond and Lauren Currie, explain:

"In providing analysis and data for the Police to act on, MyPolice challenges policy decisions that are made and ensuring that service users have an active part in changing the Police for the better. You can give your opinion at a time when you feel strongly about an encounter with the Police and feel that the service offered by the Police could be improved. It’s the place where you can see how your thoughts translate directly into action."   

MyPolice has yet to officially launch and the service is currently being developed with police forces to ensure that the final product is effective. However, one of the advisers behind the project is Doctor James Munro who founded the popular Patient Opinion service (also see right-hand sidebar on this website) which engages with almost every NHS Trust across the country to allow patients to give their feedback on hospital services.

MyPolice is coming - and the HU12 website will be looking forward to promoting the service here! It might never be able to replace face-to-face meetings with the police - but it will certainly offer an independent forum to give our compliments and criticisms of our local police services.

See Police Community Forums did not deliver value for money and  Community activists urged to join fight against crime for background reading.